James haley white



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. WHITE.

. HYDROGARBON BURNER.

Patented Jan. 21, 1868.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.,

J. H. WHITE. HYDROGARBON BURNER.

1m 73,682. Patented Jan. 21, 1868.

II/Illa! 7 1m VIII/ gums grates gaunt @ffite,

JAMES HALEY WHITE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, GALIFORNIA.

Letters Patent No. 73,682, dated January 21, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN HYDBOOABBON-BURNEBS TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be .it known that I, JAHES HALEY WHITE, of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Apparatus for Burning Petroleum as 5 Fuel; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawings are snilicient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertuins to make and use my said invention or improvements without further invention or experiment.

The object of my invention is to provide unimproved apparatus for burning the gss of steam and petroleum as fuel, and more especially when used under steameboilers; and it consists in first introducing the petroleum to a horizontal heated cylinder, by means of a small-pipe extending. longitudinally through the cylinder, and having three or more perforations on the top, through which th s oil is allowed to pass. When it leaves the pipe it is instantly vaporized, and fills the cylinder with hydrocarbon vapor. As this vapor contains an excess of carbon, it will not fully consume, but will burn with much smoke and deposit soot. I therefore pass a small quantity of steam from the boiler, first through a superheater, and thence through a cylinder filled with coke in small fragments, where it is decomposed, and hydrogen and carbonic oxide are formed. These two gases are allowed to pass into the first-mentioned cylinder by means of a. perforated pipe, and are there intimately mixed with the hydrocarbon vapor. Ajet of wet or ordinary steam is then introduced to the cylinder, where the excess of carbon decomposes it, from its well-known avidity for oxygen when at a high temperature, taking one proportion of oxygen and forming carbonic oxide, and leaving the hydrogen free. These gases thus produced, together with the hydrocarbon vapor, then pass from the cylinder through jet-tubes or burners, situated at a small distnnco fronr each other, and all over the cylinder, where they meet with the oxygen of the air, and are burned with an intense heat. An additional supply of oxygen is furnished for more complete combustion, by a. perforated tube connecting with the open air, or with a blower, and, opening into the fire-chamber behind the bridge-wall.

To more fully explain my invention, reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, of which-- Figure 1, sheet 1, is a front view of a steamboiler with my invention in position for use.

Figure 2', sheet 1, is an end sectional view.

Figure 3, sheet 2, is a. plan of the furnace with the boiler removed.

Figure 4,. sheet 2, is a side sectional elevation.

Figures 5 and 6, sheet 2, are views of the burner.

Similar letters in each of the figures indicate like parts.

A A are the walls, supporting an ordinary steam-boiler, B, and having the boiler-front 0, being used in this specification to show the application of my apparatus to boiler-furnaces. D D are hollotv cast-iromcylindot-s, which project slightly through the boiler-front, as shown,'or they may be ,placed across the furnace, when they are to be applied to boilers already built, without disturbing the front. These cylinders are pierced with holes at a distance of about two inches from each other, and burners a a are driven in. These burners are' slightly tapered, so as to retain their places, while, by not being screwed in, they can easily be removed if broken or otherwise damaged.

The petroleum or otherh'ydrocnrbon oil is furnished to the cylinder from a supply-tank, by the pipe E. which separates into the branchel F F, one serving to feed eoch cylindcia. The supply is regulated bytlie cocks b b 5. Within the cylinders the pipes extend longitudinally through the upper part, and have three or more small holes, through which the oil passes to the interior of the cylinder when it is vaporized by the heat.

"A pipe, G, leads from the steam-dome to the supcrheater, which consists of the two cylinders J J, placed across the furnace, behind the bridge-wall, one above the other, and filled with any substance that will thoroughly dry the steam. The steam passes through the upper cylinder, and returns through the lower one, from which it is conveyed by the pipe H to the decomposing-cylinder I, a stop-cock, c, regnlo'ting the supply.

The cylinder I is placed between the cylinders D D, and parallel to them, and is filled with coke or other form ct: carbon in fragments, about an inch in size, so as not to cloy the connecting-pipes. The silperheated steam passes through this cylinder, where it is instantly decompolod,,snd hydrogen and carbonic oxide are formed. Those gnses'are admitted to the cylinders D D by the pipes 11 d, which on theinsido are bent, so as to pass lengthwise-of the cylinder, and a little to one side of the centre., -"lhoso pipes aro perfomted, as shown, and thus intimately mix the two gases with the hydrocarbon vapor already there.

A pipe, K, is connected directly with the boiler, and discharges into the cylinders D D, by means ofn tube, g, a supply of wet or ordinary steam. This steam is decomposed by the excess of carbon in the hydrocirbon vapor, and another portion of-hydrogen and carbonic oxide is formed, the whole being at a high temperature. The gases now within the cylinder are hydrocarbon vapor, carbonic oxide, and hydrogen gas. These gases puts out of the cylinder in every direction by means of the jet-tubes a a, and are ignited, burning in jets of ten or twelve inches in length, and filling the furnace with an intensely hot flame. As this flame passes over the bridge-wall, it meets .a fresh supply of oxygen from the perforated tube L, which is supplied from a blower or from the open air by drought, the pipe first passing through the furnace to heat thenir.

' The operation of my invention is as follows: When it is. desired to raise steam, a fire is builtof wood or coalnpon the grate us, until the cylinders are heated sufliciently to vnp orize the oil. By the time this is (attested n little steam will be raised, or if not, the oil has be-hurned at first without it. The oil is admitted to the pipe F by means of the stop-cooks b Z and us it passes out of the holes in thepipes F it is instantly vaporized, and will pass out through the jet-tubes a a, and burn imperfectly As soon as su flicient steam is raiscd'togive a pressure, ajet'is admitted to the superhcater TJ', when it is dried and heated to a-high temperature. It then passes through the pipe H into the decomposing-cylinder I, where it meets carbon at a high temperature, in which state it instantly decomposes the superheated steam, and sets the hydrogen free. Each atom of oxygen from the steam unites with one of carbon, and forms one of carbonic oxide, which with the hydrogen passes through the perforated pipes d d, and is intimately mixed with the hydrocarbon vapor within the cylinder D, and passing out through the jet tubca a a, with it, gives a greatly-increased heat, and more perfect combustion. A jet of wet or ordinarysteam, directly from the boiler, is now let into the cylinder D D, throughthe pipes gg. The hydrocarbon vapor contains an excess of carbon,'-which causes much smoke and an imperfect comstesm from the pipe g meets it, and is decomposed, with a result similar to that which takes place within the coke-cylinder I, the hydrogen being set free, and the oxygen uniting with sufiicient carbon to form carbonic oxide The flsmeis now greatly increased, and forms so perfect s combustiop that a white cloth is not blackened by the escaping productsof the combustion, at the top of the chimney, while the cylinders on being opened are perfectly clean, showing no sign of deposited carbon. o

The results of this combustionvarc very much greater than those obtained by any other method of burning petroleum, and by experiment hn've provon that the amount of hcat producingfuel furnished by the steam is nearly equal to that produced from the oil, it being inflict a water-gas. V

The oil hscd in my apparatus is either crude petroleum as it is gathered from the wells, and the foreign matter allowed to settle, or as it-is provided by distilling the petroleum, or shales which contain it, and which are found ingrest abundance on the California coast. This distilled oilshould not be below twenty degrees nor ibove thirty-five, Baume's Hydrometer, with the thermometer at 60 Fahrenheit.

The colre used in the cylinder 1, is a very hard kind, obtained from the refuse of gas-works, and not the ordinary porous coke. It can be made to last threeor four days'without' renewal, and, from the great extent of surface exposed, is very effective. When it is necessary to renew the charge of the c linder, it may be done by simply removing the head of the cylinder and withdrawing the old charge, a new one being substituted. The operation need not be stopped, but the superheated steam maybe shut 05' until the change is made. The cylinders D D are also proiided with removable heads, and either one or more may be used at once, as desired.

California produces an immense amount of. heavy petroleum, but having such an excess of carbon that's, very small percentage of illuminating-oil can be made from it. In all previous attempts to burnit ash. fuel, this excess of carbon has'defeated the efi'crt, for it has clogged the apparatus so much as to either burn out the retort, or form. a dense mass at the bottom, which could only be removed with a hammer and chisel.

By constructing my cylinders with burners below as well as abovo, they will free themselves in .case that enough steam is notsupplied to take it all, a'nd'form the gases required.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by. Letters Patent, is-- '1. The combined use of theproducts of decomposed steam and wet or ordinary steam,each being intro-- 1 duced separately, and in such proportions as may be required, into a gas-holder or mixer, for the more perfect combustion'of the vapor of hydrocarbon oils, substantially as'described.

2 The superheating and decomposing-apparatus, consisting of the. cylinder: 3 J and I, and the gqs or supply-tithe within the mixer or holder D, substantially as described.-

'3. The horiuontcl cylinders 0's mixers D 1), having openings or burners entiretyarouud their circumference, on the under side as well as the others, which causes them to be more eflectuallyhe'ated, and also prevent: their filling or being clogged by a residuum. v

'4. 'lhe combination and arrangement of the interior perforated tubes or pipes F, g, and d, with the exterior cylinders or mixers D D, substantially in the manner andfor the purposes set forth.

' I 5- In combination with the above elaimed apparatus, I claim the perforated air-tube L, for supplying'hot air to render the combustion of the vapor and gases inning from the mixers more perfect.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set myhsnd and seal.

JAMES H. WHITE. [n 5. Witnesses:

J. L. Boo1rn, Gso. H. Snows- 

